Quarantine has been challenging. I’ve found myself with a broken-up routine and I’m constantly looking for things to occupy my time. One thing I’ve realized, though, is that while most of my days used to be dedicated to work and school, I now have time to focus on what I couldn’t before: my art! I do a lot of illustrations and writing for different things—the Herald, my friends, school projects, etc. It’s been a while, however, since I’ve accomplished my own personal art goals and really created for myself before anyone or anything else.

Zines!

So far, I’ve made three zines. A zine is a small-press publication that focuses on a theme, usually from independent creators. Two of my zines are made out of one piece of paper that folds into a small eight-page zine, and one is a 12-page zine bound with saddle stitches. Each of them have been opportunities for me to try different styles of projects, from illustrated poetry to a comic.

My first zine technically took the longest to make, if you count the several iterations I went through to make “my first zine.” Honestly, though, it didn’t take that long. It was a poem I had sitting around for a while, and one day I happened to think of some imagery that would go along with it. After that it almost drew itself. It turns out that keeping things simple was all I needed to learn to make any zine at all.

My second zine was a larger project and therefore more complicated to make, but in some ways a lot easier because I finally understood the printing process and was still keeping things simple (one colour). This zine features a long poem divided into parts, with each part having an accompanying illustration. I’m really proud of it—I don’t usually write long poetry, and it feels really good to write about a lot of different things cohesively around a theme: pandemic stress!

My most recent zine is another eight-page foldy zine from one page, but instead of illustrated poetry I worked towards my goal of making a comic! Instead of using words, I tried to illustrate my different states through the seasons using the imagery of being able
to fade through walls. I also used different colours of ink for every season, making this zine more complicated to print ink-wise than the other two!

Tote!

Screen printing apparel is admittedly more expensive than printing zines, especially if you want what you order to be of good quality. As a result, my most recent project and the only apparel project I’ve been able to complete so far is a tote bag. I did a limited run of 30 bags, which I think is a good start. After all, while I’m still in the process of building an audience and have low-demand for my art (I’m making it more for myself than anything else, anyway) there’s no sense in over-printing and blowing my budget.

My first tote bag features an erasure poem I made out of an excerpt from a vintage magazine. I love erasure poetry because you transform the old into new, and while the words didn’t initially have importance to you, they will come to find a place in your life.

Goals and next steps

Making art has been fun! I’ve realized through visiting art fairs and conventions that I really, really want to table at one myself. I guess my big goal at this point isn’t to make a specific thing but more to go to an event as an artist instead of an attendee. To do this I need a body of art, which is what all my zines and tote bags are leading up to. Hopefully, after the pandemic has passed and fairs are safely held again, I’ll be able to do this. I’m still looking for inspiration for new zines, and I’m actively trying to design hats and crewnecks. I’ve found a sense of fulfilment again through making art, and I’m excited to see where it takes me!

You can find Sabine’s art on Instagram (@stunflowers)